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Dear participants of the Yoga Retreat here in Střílky, let me welcome you to our natural hall. I would like to share with you something about the concept of time according to the Vedas and Purāṇas. It is a very broad topic with a vast amount of literature. To know it fully would require years of study. Therefore, I will share a small fragment, which I hope can serve as an inspiration. The concept of time in the Vedas and ancient scriptures is cyclical. Everything moves in a circle, a cycle that neither begins nor ends, and everything keeps repeating. Simultaneously, there are multiple universes existing independently of each other. Every universe has its own laws and its own Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. Brahmā is the creator, Viṣṇu the preserver, and Śiva the destroyer or liberator. We know that Brahmā creates through expansion. This Vedic view was confirmed at the beginning of the last century. In the 1920s, thanks to the Hubble telescope, it was proven that the universe is expanding. Viśva, from the word Viṣṇu, means to sustain, to be all-pervading and omnipresent. Śiva means gracious, kind. Śiva is the one who, at the end of an age, brings about a collapse of negativity so that a new age can begin. These individual universes exist independently, each with its own beginning, end, and course. Everything repeats, though with infinite diversity in forms, as we see in nature. It is known that no two snowflakes are alike. The idea of an infinite chain of dissolution and creation corresponds to the latest scientific findings. For example, physicist Andrei Linde from Stanford University says the universe is composed of countless worlds likened to bubbles, each with its own life and likely its own physical laws. American astronomer Carl Sagan dedicated himself to promoting astronomy to the public. In a DVD available here, he deals precisely with the Vedic concept of time, its cyclicality. He says it is a very probable concept. He also mentions two fundamental theories of the universe: one where it expands endlessly, and another where, if there is sufficient matter, the universe closes in on itself. We live in an interesting time where what is in the Vedas can now be proven. In earlier times, people had stronger faith and inner experience and did not need such proofs. Vedic culture has a mathematically precise concept of time, so intricate and incredible it has no parallel in the world. While hints of cyclicality exist in other mythologies, only India offers a very structured theory with extensive evidence. Everything is in a circle, repeating. One unit of that circle is a yuga. We know four yugas: Satya Yuga, Tretā Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, and Kali Yuga, in which we are now living. They have precisely defined durations: Satya Yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. Tretā Yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. Dvāpara Yuga lasts 864,000 years. Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 years. It is perhaps a divine grace that Satya Yuga, the golden age of harmony and spirituality, is the longest. Each successive yuga is shortened by a third, with 432,000 being that base unit for Kali Yuga. If you remember that Kali Yuga is 432,000 years, you can calculate the others by adding this number. The number 432,000 held cyclical significance in ancient times. For instance, among the ancient Sumerians, there existed a list of kings said to have ruled for 432,000 years. References to this list survived the burning of the Library of Alexandria. This number also appears in Islamic and Germanic myths in connection with periodically recurring battles between gods and adversaries, akin to the battles between Āsura śaktis and Devī śaktis in the Purāṇas. The Ṛgveda itself has 432,000 syllables. Climatologists say major climatic and ocean-level changes occur approximately every 430,000 years. These four yugas together form one Mahāyuga (Great Age), also called Catur Yuga (Four Yugas) or Divya Yuga (Divine Yuga). A Mahāyuga lasts 4,320,000 years. At the end of every Mahāyuga, which is at the end of Kali Yuga, there is a dissolution called Laya. The physical world is destroyed by water and fire. This cleansing is necessary, especially as Kali Yuga accumulates much negativity towards its end, to allow a pure Satya Yuga to begin. It is like cleaning a house with water and disposing of things by fire (incineration or recycling). The physical world perishes, but our karmas remain with us and continue into the coming ages. After this cleansing, Satya Yuga begins anew. One thousand Mahāyugas form one Kalpa. A Kalpa is 4.32 billion years and constitutes one day or one night of Brahmā. The world is active during Brahmā’s day and rests during his night. The end of Brahmā’s day is Kalpānta, a greater dissolution called Pralaya. In Laya, only the gross material world is destroyed. In Pralaya, both the subtle and gross material worlds are destroyed: Bhūrloka (Earth), Bhuvarloka (the astral sphere), Svargaloka (heaven), and even higher worlds. Brahmā’s night lasts as long as his day—4.32 billion years—a period of stillness and non-manifestation where the guṇas are in balance. However, the Vedas and the imprints of our actions (karma) persist. During Pralaya, there is only water, upon which Viṣṇu, also known as Nārāyaṇa (Nāra meaning water, Ayana meaning resting place), rests. There are countless Kalpas. Our current Kalpa is called Varāha Kalpa, named after Viṣṇu’s boar incarnation (Varāha) who lifted the earth from the primal waters to begin life again. It is said to be the 34th Kalpa. The Purāṇas give names of previous Kalpas, and creation is gradual across them. For example, celestial singers (Gandharvas) were created in the 14th Kalpa, Ṛṣis appeared in the 15th, Śiva revealed the Gāyatrī mantra to Brahmā in the 31st, and the goddess Sarasvatī appeared from the 32nd Kalpa. In our world, Brahmā created good and evil and established the law of karma. Even the gods are subject to this law; only the guru can work with it, which is why it is said the guru is greater than God. Brahmā lives for 100 Brahmā years, a lifespan of about 311 trillion human years. At the end of his life, he dissolves into unity, and a new Brahmā arrives. In the ancient Indian system, a year has 360 days. Calculating this yields 36,000 Kalpas in Brahmā’s life, which is called a Mahā Kalpa (Great Kalpa). After this comes the final dissolution, the Mahā Pralaya (Great Dissolution). Here, all living beings are absorbed back into their source. The entire universe—gross, subtle, and causal worlds—is dissolved. Time ends, all forms end, space ends, all individual consciousnesses end. Everything withdraws into that divine unity, whether called Śiva or consciousness. This point of contraction is called Bindu, represented by the dot above the symbol OṂ. It symbolizes the destruction of the universe and the end of karma and the divine play (līlā). Then a new universe arises, and everything repeats. This point is said to be smaller than a pinhead and is called a Singularity in science—an infinitely dense point in time and space. This aligns with the latest scientific findings. Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah) also speaks of this point, called Ayin (nothingness, emptiness that is full), from which the universe originated. It is interesting how these connections appear across cultures. Thus, universes are regularly created and destroyed, like alternating seasons or day and night. Realizing this can make our personal problems seem petty. Brahmā’s current age is halfway through; we are in the middle. Viṣṇu’s age is even longer, about 40 trillion years. Śiva (in the aspect of Rudra) also has a lifespan of hundreds of years, amounting to five thousand quadrillion human years—a figure that expands the boundaries of our knowledge. Returning to the structure: Four Yugas make one Mahāyuga (4,320,000 years). Seventy-one Mahāyugas form one Manvantara, the period of rule of one Manu, lasting about 306 million years (sometimes cited as 308 million with transitional periods). Fourteen Manvantaras make one Kalpa (a day of Brahmā). We are in the 7th Manvantara. Between Manvantaras, there is a partial destruction (Laya) of the physical world, followed by a new creation. The end of a Manvantara coincides with a Kali Yuga. The word Manvantara combines Manu and Avatāra. A Manu is the first being after a dissolution who establishes a new order, manifests dharma, and founds a new human race. This is why the essence of all religions is the same—they come from one source. Each Manvantara has slight variations in creation. Different groups of seven Ṛṣis (Sapta Ṛṣis) are active. For our Manvantara, they are: Kaśyapa, Atri, Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Jamadagni, and Bharadvāja (though lists in Purāṇas vary, as the original is said to be lost). Each Manvantara also has a different Indra, the king of the gods. There is a beautiful story illustrating this cyclicality. After the gods won a battle, Indra asked the divine architect Viśvakarmā to build an extraordinary palace. Indra was never satisfied, constantly demanding changes. Exhausted, Viśvakarmā sought help from Brahmā, who asked Viṣṇu for assistance. Viṣṇu appeared as a young boy radiating spiritual power. He admired the palace but remarked that no previous Indra had such a structure, startling Indra. Then, thousands of ants appeared. The boy laughed, explaining that all these ants were former Indras who, due to their karma, were reborn as ants. Then Śiva appeared as an old ascetic and spoke of the transience of worldly life. From a tuft of hair on his chest, some hairs fell out. Śiva explained that each hair was a former Brahmā. Reflecting on this, Indra lost interest in his meaningless pursuits. In every Manvantara, there are also different gods. In our Manvantara, there are six main groups: 1. Ādityas: Sons of Aditi and Kaśyapa, twelve in number, embodying natural and cosmic forces associated with light (e.g., Viṣṇu, Śiva as Rudra). Many are names of solar deities. 2. Viśvadevas: "All-Gods," sons of Viśvā, daughter of Prajāpati Dakṣa. They are abstract concepts like truth (Satya) and perseverance (Dhṛti), numbering between 10 and 22. 3. Vasus: Embodiments of eight kind qualities and natural phenomena (e.g., fire, water, wind, the moon). There are eight of them. The Mahābhārata hero Bhīṣma was one of the Vasus cursed to be born on Earth. 4. Tuṣitas: "The Satisfied Ones," sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa who helped Brahmā in creation. Their number varies. 5. Ābhāsvaras: "The Luminous Ones," also sons of Kaśyapa, constricting abstract concepts. Their number is given as 10 to 22. 6. Aśvins: "Horse-born," twin sons of the sun god Vivasvant. They are gods of the morning and evening twilight and are the physicians of the gods. It is interesting that other Manvantaras had fewer groups of gods; ours, with six, seems to be the most complex. The Vedas also speak of the cosmic man, Puruṣa. This Puruṣa sacrificed himself so that the universe could arise from him. He is described as the absolute, the original reality. The Vedas say one quarter of his being is the manifested world subject to decay, while the remaining three quarters are hidden and unchanging. The one who perceives the world as a whole, knowing these three quarters, is called Uttama-Puruṣa or Puruṣottama. According to the latest scientific research, the universe contains dark matter (the scaffolding where life is created) and physical substances we can sense. A large portion—perhaps three quarters—remains unknown. Even scientists do not yet fully understand this, but it aligns with the Vedic perspective of Puruṣottama. We are halfway through, so we will continue another time. Let us take a little break now. Jaya Reṇukā Bhagavān. Kīrtan.